Intravascular medical procedures allow the performance of therapeutic treatments in a variety of locations within a patient's body while requiring only relatively small access incisions. An intravascular procedure may, for example, eliminate the need for open-heart surgery, thereby reducing the risks, costs, and time associated with an open-heart procedure. The intravascular procedure also enables faster recovery times with lower associated costs and risks of complication. An example of an intravascular procedure which significantly reduces procedure and recovery time and cost over conventional open surgery is a heart valve replacement or repair procedure. An artificial valve is guided to the heart through the patient's vasculature. For example, a catheter is inserted into the patient's vasculature and directed to the inferior vena cava. The catheter is then urged through the inferior vena cava toward the heart by applying force longitudinally to the catheter. Upon entering the heart from the inferior vena cava, the catheter enters the right atrium. The distal end of the catheter may be deflected by one or more wires positioned inside the catheter. Precise control of the distal end of the catheter allows for more reliable and faster positioning of a medical device and/or implant and other improvements in the procedures.
An intravascularly delivered device needs to be placed precisely, as the device may be difficult to reposition after the device is fully deployed from the delivery system. Additionally, the ability to recapture and/or reposition a partially deployed device is desirable in the event that the distal end of the catheter moves relative to the target location and compromises the precise positioning of the device.
The precise positioning of the device is inhibited by controlling the movement of the device from the proximal end of the delivery system. An intravascular device delivery system can include an elongated body which is 75 centimeters or more in length within the patient's vasculature. Small movements, either longitudinally or rotationally, are limited by contact with the vasculature as the elongated body passed through the vasculature and around corners. Further, the internal friction of different layers and/or components of the intravascular device delivery system impairs the implementation of small movements by a medical profession or other user.